The subject matter disclosed herein relates to adverse event reduction in the absence of direct, continuous human observation and hands on interaction.
Pressure ulcers form when weight is concentrated in one or more areas over time, such as when a patient is relatively immobile. In particular, pressure ulcers develop when the skin's structure loses its healthy resilience and blood circulation is inadequate. Patients in a weakened condition laying in a bed where their body weight tends to concentrate in a particular location, such as, for example, a hip can be susceptible to developing pressure ulcers. While pressure ulcers for certain patient population are not avoidable, clinical guideline and practice suggest that moving the patient's body orientation from time to time allows the movement of body weight to other pressure points, lowering the probability of pressure ulcer development.
With this in mind, a pressure ulcer prevention or treatment protocol may stipulate that, for example, a patient is to be re-oriented every hour or at some other defined interval. An underlying assumption of such a protocol is that certain patients may be immobile and therefore are not moving on their own accord. An example case would be a sedated patient on a ventilator. When the risk for ulcers is clearly identified, care providers can implement and manage the pressure ulcer protocol(s), such as by routinely adjusting the resting position of the patient.
In addition, a patient who is susceptible to the condition but who is not properly identified as being so or who is not properly managed (whether or not properly identified as being at risk) may be susceptible to pressure ulcers or other adverse events due to failure to adhere to the appropriate care and prevention protocols. Hence, monitoring and implementation of such a protocol may be an issue.